Mekong River

	Mekong
	Mae Num Khong, Lancang Jiang, Mae Khaung, Menam Khong, Mekongk, Tonle Thom, Song Cu'u Long
	River
	The Mekong in Laos
Countries	China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Source	Lasagongma Spring
- location	Mount Guozhongmucha, Qinghai, China
- elevation	5,224 m (17,139 ft)
- coordinates	33°42′31″N 94°41′44″E / 33.70861°N 94.69556°E
Mouth	Mekong Delta
- location	South China Sea, Vietnam
Length	4,350 km (2,703 mi)
Basin	795,000 km² (306,951 sq mi)
	Map of the Mekong River watershed.

The Mekong River is a river in the south-eastern part of the continent of Asia. It flows through the countries of China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and finally Vietnam. The Mekong begins in the plateaus of Tibet, now a part of China, and flows about 2,703 miles (4,350 km) south-east to the South China Sea. Its watershed covers 307,000 square miles (797,000 square kilometers).^[1] Its name comes from the Thai language's Mae Num, or literally, "Mother Water".

The Mekong is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, with hundreds of types of fish, as well as river dolphins, crocodiles, and otters. Indeed, fishing is a very important activity on the river.^[2] However, the Mekong River is also used extensively for navigation, and has many dams along its length.